


he says he's fine, but he lies (building up inside)

by nightsickness



Category: Twenty One Pilots
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, M/M, Suicide Attempt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-20
Updated: 2014-12-20
Packaged: 2018-03-02 12:42:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 574
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2812364
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nightsickness/pseuds/nightsickness
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“The rumors aren’t right,” Tyler said, loudly enough for the students around them to hear. “I mean, I did try to kill myself. That, I won’t deny. But I didn’t slit my wrists or try to hang myself like everyone seems to be saying.”</p>
            </blockquote>





	he says he's fine, but he lies (building up inside)

**Author's Note:**

> Two days until my surgery, so I'm trying to get as much out as I can.
> 
> Title from Kaleidoscope by Levi The Poet.

“Tyler Joseph?”

“What’s he doing back here?”

“Is that _Tyler_?”

“Is he back? For good?”

Tyler could hear all the whispers about him as he walked through the once-familiar hallways of his school.

It’d been months since he’d been back here, and his mom wasn’t even going to let him go back, would much rather have just homeschooled him until he graduated, but he insisted. He needed this, he had told her.

Now, he wasn’t so sure if she had been wrong.

He made his way to his locker and quickly turned the combination 39-9-23, silently thanking God that he had remembered.

“I guess he _is_ back.”

Grabbing his Physics textbook, he shut his locker and speed-walked out the door.

The whispers continued outside the building, but the shock was beginning to wear off and students were starting to talk about why Tyler was ever gone in the first place.

“I heard he tried to kill himself.”

“How?”

“Slit his wrists, maybe?”

“I heard he tried hanging himself in his bedroom closet.”

“He’s wearing long sleeves.”

Tyler tried not to scream at them. He wondered if they even realized that they were loud enough for him to hear them. The back of his neck started to feel hot.

“Tyler.” This voice wasn’t familiar, but it definitely wasn’t a whisper. Tyler thinks he was meant to hear it.

He turned around. The first person he saw was Mark. _Mark._ The only friend he’d managed to make in the three months he was in public school. Three months before he decided to end it all. And now another three months since he’d heard from him.

But Mark wasn’t the owner of the voice. There was a boy standing next to Mark, a boy with a nose ring and curly dark brown hair and a bright smile. His eyes were squinted and Tyler thought he might be a little Asian.

“Mark,” Tyler gestured to his friend. He didn’t smile, but he was sure Mark would take it as a friendly greeting anyway. “Who’s this?”

“This is Josh.”

“Hey,” Josh said, continuing to grin cheerfully. Tyler could feel his lips turn upward, which was a little weird.

“Hi,” Tyler tried to smile, but it turned out as more of a grimace. Josh didn’t comment.

“Uh, I was just – I heard the rumors.” Tyler tensed. “And, I don’t know, I thought you might want a friend. Someone who… knows what you’ve been through. Assuming the rumors are correct, I mean.”

“The rumors aren’t right,” Tyler said, loudly enough for the students around them to hear. “I mean, I _did_ try to kill myself. That, I won’t deny. But I didn’t slit my wrists or try to hang myself like everyone seems to be saying.”

Mark noticed that most of the kids winced and sheepishly turned away.

“It’s ridiculous how some people can be so nosy. It’s also disgusting of them to try and come up with their own theories,” Josh agreed.

Tyler didn’t reply. He just looked down at his own shoes.

“I – I was wondering if you’d like to go out sometime.” Tyler looked up.

“You think I’m gay?”

“Wha – it can be as… friends? I –“

“I’ll go.” Tyler smiled. “I guess I’m not as good at hiding my sexuality as I thought.”

Josh grinned. “My gaydar’s just really on point.”

“Please don’t say that.”

“Sure,” Josh shrugged, but fist-bumped Mark when Tyler turned around to start walking.


End file.
